The U of A’s Canadian Circumpolar Institute and University of Alberta Museums mount a display of images, artifacts and specimens documenting a fragile world

Eight countries converge on the Arctic Circle — Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland and the United States. Edmonton is the northernmost North American city with a metro­politan population of over one million people — making it an ideal location for the University of Alberta-based Canadian Circumpolar Institute (CCI) to conduct northern research.

Originally established as the Boreal Institute for Northern Studies, the CCI is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Over those years the Institute has worked to reinforce the collaborative investigative work by people who live in the North, and by researchers working in the Arctic and Antarctica. The continu­ously growing body of information the CCI has gathered has shaped, and continues to shape, the understanding of the delicate balance of the polar regions. The Earth’s polar regions con­tain some of the most sensitive environ­ments on the planet and even small changes can have big impacts. And this environment is changing quicker now than it ever has in human history.

The University of the Arctic (UArctic) is a cooperative network of universities, colleges, research institutes and other organizations concerned with education and research in and about the North. UArctic builds and strengthens collective resources and collaborative infrastructure that enables member institutions to better serve their constituents and their regions. Through cooperation in education, research and outreach we enhance human capacity in the North, promote viable communities and sustainable economies, and forge global partnerships.